The Internet comprises a vast number of interconnected web servers and computers, which themselves are joined together by means of switches, routers, base stations, and gateways, that collectively enable transfer of packets of data between computers using various networking protocols such as a TCP/IP suite. The interconnected web servers and computers exchange information using various standard and non-standard services, such as electronic mail (or email), ftp, and the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP). In view of its open protocol nature, the Internet facilitates unprecedented instant interconnections between clients, companies, and governments that were not even dreamed of a decade ago.
With the invention of the Internet, new global business opportunities have surfaced. In view of its global nature, the Internet is especially useful for conducting electronic commerce.
Many web servers have been developed and utilized by vendors to advertise and sell products. The products can be tangible items (e.g., books, CD's, collectibles, etc.) that are delivered through conventional distribution channels (e.g., a common mail carrier), items that are delivered electronically to the purchaser over the network and/or Internet, or items that are electronically confirmed only (e.g., rights of use timeshare). Internet commerce does not only copy the brick and mortal storefront to extend its reach to global markets, it has also enabled the birth of new businesses that would not be possible to form without the capability of reaching millions of clients.
Besides a traditional Internet marketplace's sell and purchase transactions, a web server computer system may also be built to provide an electronic version of classified advertisements or classifieds. Such systems list items that are available for sale, purchase, and/or trade. In the past, classifieds were traditionally in print media at local newspapers or posted at, for example, local supermarkets or clubs. With the advent of the Internet, an electronic bulletin board and classifieds can grow to include clients outside of a local area.
For example, in a typical electronic bulletin board or classifieds model, a client who wishes to offer an item for sale may list one or more items he owns on the web site. This listing information may include, among others things, the seller's name, address, email address, and telephone number and possibly credit card number or other payment account if a listing fee is charged. Another client, who is a potential buyer, may browse through the electronic bulletin board using the Internet and a web browser and select various items that he wishes to buy. In one implementation, once the other client selects the items, the actual sale/purchase is accomplished outside of the electronic platform. In another implementation, when the client has completed selection of the items to be purchased, the server computer system then prompts the potential buyer for additional information, such as shipping information and a credit card number, in order to complete the trade. The server computer system then typically confirms the order by sending a confirming email to the client computer system and informs the seller to ship the item.
Although this traditional “electronic bulletin board” or “classifieds” model is very flexible and intuitive, it has several major downsides. It can facilitate a sale or purchase of items independent of each other only, but not for barter. In other words, only one transaction, sale, or purchase, at a time is executed. In addition, although some more advanced “electronic bulletin boards” allow clients to specify items for barter, they allow specifying only one item wanted for each item available. The inability to specify multiple “Want” items for each item listed makes trade transactions difficult to complete.
It is believed that existing “electronic bulletin boards” do not support trade or bartering between a plurality of clients and items. Most, if not all, such existing systems do not have any efficient automated matching capability to find potential trades. Although a manual search for potential trades involving only two participants is, in general, feasible, search for multiparty trades and coordinating of multiparty barter without automated tools is, at least, cumbersome. Since the overhead of searching for potential trade partners can be very high, a computerized barter matching system would be desirable for fast matching of trader's items without providing “repeated” information for each matching step.
Since assignment of multiple “Want” items is accomplished during an initial description of the item available, the assignment of multiple “Want” items for this one particular item available is initially declared as the “default” assignment or “link”. However, during each individual client's session in which the client is using the system to match his items for trade, the client may temporarily decide to change “Want” items for his item available. In other words, if default linked “Wants” can be temporarily changed for the duration of the matching session, clients will be able to find other potential trades that would not be available if the default link assignment is used. Therefore, it is desirable to enable clients to further modify assignments of multiple “Want” items for each item listed during the time the client is engaged in online matching activity.
If, during the session of finding the trading partners for items available, the match results are not found, the clients may be interested in finding at least the (i) clients who want their item and/or (ii) clients who have what the client wants for his item. A system is therefore needed to allow clients to find one or more matches for their available items as well as to provide a list of clients or items available for trade that do not match client's “Want” list thus allowing the client to initiate the trade with an unwanted item or offer the different item for the wanted item.
In a typical electronic bulletin board, the client, who is a potential buyer, has limited search capabilities for items he is interested in acquiring. A returning client, typically regarded as a “guest” until log-in, cannot search for items he is interested in without specifically describing search conditions each time they are conducting a search. A system would therefore be desirable that allows clients to find one or more matches for items of interest without logging into the system by automated means thereby offering the client potential matched trades in a batch mode, for example, once a day, once a week, etc.
Although the matching system utilizing the detailed description and categorization of items available for trade and items wanted can provide adequate “suggestions” as to potential trades available, the matching system may further be augmented with information about the client's behavior as it relates to his current and/or past trading activity. The information about the client's trading behavior may be beneficial in the selection of potential trading partners. It would therefore be desirable to enable the system to allow utilization of clients' trading behavior in order to find eventual trading partners for items available and items wanted.
The above-mentioned methods that allow traders to save time and money by shortening the process of finding potential trades clearly constitute an important enabling factor for further advances in eCommerce. As described more fully below, the present invention improves the prior art eCommerce or Internet-based barter systems by proposing, among other things, a system that automatically matches potential trade partners that are likely to agree with a barter transaction. It would therefore be of great interest to eCommerce participants to use systems that embody the present invention while trying to improve their efficiency and profitability.